Tribe shuts out The Evening News

Thursday

May 15, 2014 at 12:30 PM

Encouraged by Sault Tribal members to attend Wednesday's special session, The Evening News found the Sault Tribe's Board of Directors rolling up the proverbial welcome mat with a narrow vote asking the reporter to leave the session.

The reporter left following the close vote without incident.

Director Lana Causley led the charge to have The Evening News removed from the meeting and was joined by the majority of her fellow board members in the final vote. Attempts to get an official breakdown of the vote were unsuccessful as the minutes of Wednesday's session will not be made public until the next meeting of the Sault Tribe's Board of Directors.

By Scott Brand

Update: Click on the link below to see the video from this meeting to find out what happened after we were kicked out of the meeting. At press time we did not have access to this video.

Special Board meeting May 14

SAULT STE. MARIE — Encouraged by Sault Tribal members to attend Wednesday’s special session, The Evening News found the Sault Tribe’s Board of Directors rolling up the proverbial welcome mat with a narrow vote asking the reporter to leave the session.

The reporter left following the close vote without incident.

Director Lana Causley led the charge to have The Evening News removed from the meeting and was joined by the majority of her fellow board members in the final vote. Attempts to get an official breakdown of the vote were unsuccessful as the minutes of Wednesday’s session will not be made public until the next meeting of the Sault Tribe’s Board of Directors.

Prior to the vote, a number of audience members spoke in favor of allowing The Evening News to stay for the entire meeting — citing the publication’s objectivity and timeliness in past coverage — but to no avail.

While The Evening News was allowed to sit through discussions on a consent release for Seth Waxman and an upcoming graduate research project, the approaching debate on a removal hearing board targeting one of the members of the Sault Tribe’s Board of Directors seemed to be off limits solely to The Evening News as no one else, Tribal or otherwise, was asked to leave Wednesday’s session.

Update: Click on the link below to see the video from this meeting to find out what happened after we were kicked out of the meeting. At press time we did not have access to this video.